Is independent, unsigned, and underground metal what you seek? Weary traveler of the metal world, rest here a while. Clandestine Cuts are the best demos and EPs from these bands, the heart and soul of metal music. These musicians are slaves to their passions, and their blood keeps the metal machine alive and turning. Support them with a simple listen, and discover the future.

Metal Storm users: you can vote in the poll below to choose your favorite demo/EP of the issue. The winners each year are nominated in our annual Metal Storm Awards so exercise your rights: this is the one category chosen completely by YOU the readers. Make sure your favorite independent metal is recognized each year!

(Think your band has what it takes to be featured in the Cuts? Email demos@metalstorm.net to submit your music.)

German technical deathcore with a ton of melody - what more could you ask for? Hopebringer is as catchy as it is brutal, filled with impressive leads and chunky breakdowns to complement some rather impressive vocals that range from deep-sea gutturals to raspy hardcore shouts. Not only is this a fun little EP, but some of the proceeds even go towards helping out children with cancer in Germany. Seems like a pretty reasonable trade for €5.

This 4-track EP establishes Los Angeles-based Sirion as one of the rising forces in the melodeath scene. Vocals and music blend perfectly, as they both jump flawlessly from clean and melodic to heavy and biting. Enriched by some pretty awesome keyboard melodies, guitar breakdowns, variegated drumming, electronic effects and memorable extreme power choruses, this Californian sextet shows how enjoyable melody can be in death metal.

Fans of hard rock, prog, and stoner metal should have no complaints when it comes to Hypergiant's aptly titled debut EP. It's loud, crushing, groovy, space-oriented fun for the whole family all the midnight tokers out there. Alternating between upbeat chugging and lethargic riffs, Planetcracker is designed to appease your inner three-breasted hooker from Mars. Keep a close eye on these Aussies - they're bound to make some noise in the near future.

Out of Kansas City comes some progressive metal of the highest caliber. With a prominent bass, Existem produce very melodic and ambitious metal. While the technical aspect is noteworthy, like Scale The Summit, the underlying melody is simple and direct with substance. The music in Phoenix is diverse; you have raging growls, emotional clean vocals, even a trumpet, groovy transitions, and heavy riffage, in what becomes something quite unique. The band even flirts with different genre latitudes to spice things up even more. Existem know what they are doing and they save the best for the end. "Above Or Below" is a monster of good qualities from the deep entangling progressions to the dynamic guitars; it doesn't get much better than this.

Brutal American sludge outfit SwampHög managed to snag a deal with a small indie label known as Grimoire Records after seemingly impressing with a 3-track demo, and this EP shows just what impressed those Grimoire label executives: heavy sludge metal with stoner grooves, grimy riffs, intense raspy shouts, and a knack for pace-changing mid-track. The perfectly murky production adds some serious sandpaper to an already gritty EP.

13 minutes of down-tuned sludge and gut-wrenching harsh vocals makes up Tarpan's Legend EP, a short and not-so-sweet foray into the uglier realm of extreme music - essentially the mentally stable friend of Lord Mantis, Indian, et al. These Poles lull you into a false sense of security before absolutely crushing the world around you with heavy groove-oriented riffs and pounding rhythmic drums.

This issue seems to be dominated by Troy. Not that I mind that.
It's a bit of a tough choice because not a single band blew my mind away. But, in the end, my vote goes to... Hypergiant. Somehow I'm very much into stoner metal/rock lately.

While I went with Hypergiant as well, I was really grabbed by the organ opening of the Tarpan EP. Are there any bands of the Stoner/Sludge/Doom persuasion that use the Hammond Organ as a key element of their sound? Like a cross between classic Deep Purple and Candlemass? That'd be cool!